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Somali
Government Offers Amnesty to Insurgent Fighters(Press
release)

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currently configured not to display inline frames.The
Transitional Federal Government of Somalia has offered
a general amnesty to insurgent fighters remaining
in Mogadishu who give themselves up and renounce violence.

The offer of amnesty was adopted during an extraordinary
meeting of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister
Dr Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, which was convened on Sunday
to discuss the security situation in Mogadishu following
the retreat from the city of the bulk of insurgent
fighters.

Congratulating the Somali National Army (SNA) which,
with the support of troops from the African Union
Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) had pushed the Al Qaeda-linked
militants out of the capital, the Cabinet stressed
that this was a tremendous step forward for the nation.
It urged all Somalis in Mogadishu to work hand in
hand with the government to secure the city and to
report any suspicious activity to the relevant authorities.

The Cabinet also agreed to the immediate establishment
of a Special Forces unit within the Somali security
forces which, for the time being, will be responsible
for maintaining law and order in areas deserted by
the extremists until the Somali Police Force can fully
take over. The Government will ensure that all criminal
activities will be dealt swiftly by the court in order
to deter any attempts of hindering the on-going security
operations.

The Cabinet was also cognizant of the need to strengthen
security for humanitarian agencies as they deliver
food and aid supplies to internally displaced persons.
It underscored the fact that upholding the rule of
law was the sole responsibility of Government security
agencies, stating that no other force would be allowed
to carry out such tasks within the capital. The Somali
Government and AMISOM forces will not tolerate looters
and politically motivated destabilization plots by
anti-peace elements attempting to infiltrate and occupy
newly liberated districts of Mogadishu.

The ministers strongly condemned Fridays
incident at Bad-baado camp which resulted in the deaths
of three civilians, with another five wounded. The
ministers said the incident had tarnished the image
and reputation of the Somali people and vowed to bring
the perpetrators to justice. The Prime Minister has
ordered police commissioner, Chief Intelligence and
Mogadishu Mayor to investigate the incident and report
their findings to the Government.